ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- For the second straight game, the University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team needed overtime. This time the Tritons defeated Upper Iowa 87-80 to advance to the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship game for the fourth time in six years. The Tritons improve to 19-10 while the Peacocks drop to 21-9.
 
The first half was closely contested with neither team able to break out into a comfortable lead. Emanuel Prospere II got UMSL going early with five of the Tritons first seven points. Janeir Harris had the other two points with the first basket of the game.
 
Upper Iowa kept the game within three points heading through the middle stretch, pulling the game to one point before Matt Enright kicked off a mini four-point run to stop the Peacocks momentum.
 
It was late in the first half where the Tritons would extend their lead to a seven-point margin, their largest of the first half. Savon Wykle hit a jump shot before Harris made a three-point effort with a minute and a half remaining.
 
Upper Iowa capitalized on Triton turnovers to pull the game back to a five-point difference as UMSL went into the locker room leading 43-38
 
The Tritons raced out to start the second half with Enright opening the scoring. UMSL consistently added baskets, even as the Peacocks tried to cut into the lead. Harris hit a three-point effort before Upper Iowa started a run of its own.
 
The last ten minutes saw the score go back and forth as UMSL was only able to build three-point leads before the Peacocks came back to tie it. The Tritons were unable to score in the last two minutes and Upper Iowa tied the game at 71 with seven seconds left.
 
In overtime, Enright was key in lifting UMSL over the Peacocks. Prospere started the scoring but Enright hit back-to-back three-point shots in the middle of the overtime period to give the Tritons an 80-75 lead.
 
UMSL held that lead as it hit 7-of-10 free throws in the final 71 seconds to seal the win.
 
The Tritons shot 51 percent (33-for-65) from the floor in the contest, were 6-of-18 from three and shot 63 percent at the foul line. They outrebounded the Peacocks 46-to-37 in the contest. Enright scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the extra frame. He was joined in double figures by Harris with 17 while Wykle added 16, Prospere chipped in with 12 and Troy Glover II had 10 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
 
Upper Iowa was held to 37 percent (26-for-71) shooting in the contest including 9-of-28 from three and shot 76 percent at the foul line. Nick Reid led all scorers with a game-high 27 points in the contest. Kyle Hrncir added 20 points and Noah King finished with 13 points.
 
UMSL takes on Lincoln in the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.